From its humble beginnings in Bangkok during the 1950s, Jim Thompson has grown into an iconic lifestyle brand renowned for its exceptional silk fabrics, home furnishings, as well as food and beverage offerings.
Jim Thompson Group CEO Frank Cancelloni, who took over the helm in 2021, believes the brand has the potential to achieve greater heights. He says, “With all its unique attributes and roots in arts, fashion and hospitality, along with its distinctive heritage, Jim Thompson is on track to become, in the mid-term, the first truly global Asian lifestyle brand, akin to the status of Ralph Lauren in the U.S. or Giorgio Armani in Europe.”
Jim Thompson has grown into an iconic lifestyle brand renowned for its exceptional silk fabrics, home furnishings, as well as food and beverage offerings.
Unique Attributes
Many successful global fashion and lifestyle brands have one thing in common: they have a rich history. In Jim Thompson’s case, the brand’s heritage can be traced back to 1951, when James H.W. Thompson, a former operative for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (now known as the CIA), founded the Thai Silk Company. His vision was to support the traditional livelihoods, culture and dignity of local weavers and silk farmers.
The brand’s success was attributed to Thompson’s focus on creating designs that seamlessly blended both Asian and Western elements while maintaining an unwavering commitment to quality. The brand gained prominence when its silk fabrics were featured in the Broadway production of The King and I, and it earned early patronage from Queen Sirikit.
Despite Thompson’s mysterious disappearance in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, in 1967, the company and the Jim Thompson brand of silk products continued to grow from strength to strength.
Exponential Growth
Today, Jim Thompson has 21 stores under its fashion business unit spread across Thailand, with celebrities, politicians and diplomats counting as regular clients. The business is focused on the tourist market as well as the growing middle- and upper-class segments of the local population.
Its home furnishings business unit, on the other hand, has a presence in more than 60 countries worldwide, with showrooms in Atlanta, New York and Paris. The food and beverage arm of the company comprises Jim Thompson, a Thai Restaurant, Silk Café and Jim’s Terrace—all under one roof in the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok. The soon-to-open The OSS Bar will pay homage to Thompson’s affiliation with the Office of Strategic Services, embodying his legacy.
Beyond Silk
The company recently embarked on a “Beyond Silk” strategy to position itself as a dynamic and innovative lifestyle brand, offering a diverse product portfolio that goes beyond traditional silk products to include materials such as linen and cotton. It also employs innovative technologies to develop high-performance and “Easy Care” silk to cater to different customer needs and preferences.
Until recently, Jim Thompson was perceived as a tourist-oriented brand while locals see it as a gifting option. “With our renewed focus on contemporary design, a thoughtfully curated assortment of products and strategic collaborations, we are experiencing a significant shift in perception,” says Cancelloni. “Our well-targeted digital campaigns have played a crucial role in this transformation. As a result, we are now successfully attracting a growing number of local, younger customers who are purchasing our products for themselves, while still retaining a strong presence in the tourist market.”
This positive momentum is a testament to the brand’s adaptability and resonance with diverse audiences.
Henry Jacques is a free-spirited creator that has constantly risen to the challenge of pushing haute parfumerie to the limits. This explains why the maison’s perfumes never fail to surprise, delight and innovate, year after year.
Nowhere is this legacy of a bespoke creator of olfactory dreams more evident than in Clic-Clac—the quintessential solid perfume—as interpreted and perfected by Henry Jacques.
Known since ancient times, solid perfume, similar in composition to balm, has been neglected over the centuries. This meant the joys and sense of well-being associated with its application were subsequently lost. Until now.
The desire to revive and celebrate the enchanting customs of the past was what inspired Henry Jacques CEO Anne-Lise Cremona and Artistic Director Christophe Tollemer to breathe new life into this lost art—a ritual that is simultaneously personal and intimate, yet social and bestowing.
“Our obsession was to create a fascinating object, resolutely masculine in its shape, material and mechanism, but hiding an intimate, more emotional side: the perfume,” Cremona says.
An Exceptional Case for an Amazing Perfume Unlike more traditional perfume offerings, Henry Jacques had to overcome two distinct challenges in order to turn its concept for a solid perfume into reality. The first challenge was to ensure the essence and olfactory integrity of the maison’s 50 Classiques, a collection of 50 historic fragrances from its archive of over 3,000 scents, were preserved without compromise in solid form. The second challenge was to create a case worthy of the purpose and occasion.
Years of design, development and testing were needed before the optimal case was determined and agreed upon. With that, the Clic-Clac was born. In reviving the ancient ritual of solid perfumery, Henry Jacques succeeded not only in reintroducing a sense of allure and mystique so frequently missing in modern life, but also in creating an extraordinary artifact of precision and elegance.
A Treasure for All Seasons and Generations Like an elegant lighter or an exquisite piece of jewelry, Clic-Clac is an heirloom-grade companion that marks its owner as an individual of taste, means and subtlety. Housed within each Clic-Clac are interchangeable fragrance capsules from the Classiques range. Much like the maison’s line of 50 Classiques, all of these capsules have been developed from an alcohol-free base that is virtually devoid of non-natural ingredients.
The irreverently playful name of Clic-Clac belies an extraordinary object that has been forged with engineering virtuosity and artistic ingenuity. The opening mechanism is derived from Swiss watchmaking, tested to the extremes to guarantee many years of smooth, flawless operation. The carefully considered proportions and weight cannot help but evoke presence, whether viewed from a distance or up close in the palm of the hand. The case is currently available in a variety of precious and avant-garde materials such as carbon or titanium. Bejeweled alternatives are expected to be available very soon.
“The creation of this object quickly transported us and overwhelmed us, surpassing all our expectations,” says Cremona. “Addictive for us, and fascinating for others, Clic-Clac responds to the needs of an era and a generation—a powerful response to something clearly lacking today.”
The small, infinitely portable form factor means that, unlike other perfumes, Clic-Clac was designed from the beginning to be an intimate and personal accessory—a talisman always held dear and kept close. Much more than an accessory, Clic-Clac is a symbol of daydreams, nonchalance and quiet individuality. A discreet objet d’art that takes on the aura of its owner over the years, as well as the patina of time, intimate encounters and memories.
For more information about Clic-Clac and the time-honored principles and craftsmanship that go into each Henry Jacques creation, visit
Richard Mille and Ferrari—two brands synonymous with pushing technical limits while simultaneously honoring the traditions of their respective fields. While the marque with the prancing horse has been a dominating force on racetracks since the early 1950s, Richard Mille has been developing watches with unheard technology and trend-redefining aesthetics from Les Breleux in the Swiss Jura—albeit since the turn of this millennium.
While the industries are distinct, both brands are united by a single-minded obsession with technical innovation, breaking records, and above all, winning hearts and minds.
The Beating Hearts of Mechanical Miracles As a watchmaker, Richard Mille has never been one to shy away from contrarian engineering or rest on its laurels. In the 18.83-gram RM 27-01, a watch developed in collaboration with Rafael Nadal, the company showcased in 2013 the lightest tourbillon in the world. This was followed two years later by the extraordinary RM 67-01 and its 3.6-mm thick inhouse caliber. Now, eight years on, Richard Mille has delivered on the impossible—an ultra-flat watch that is 1.75mm thick—the RM UP-01 Ferrari.
In developing this astoundingly slender watch, Richard Mille collaborated with fellow Swiss watchmaking powerhouse, Audemars Piguet. To bring this concept to life, however, engineers on both teams realized very quickly they had to unlearn everything they thought they knew about watchmaking. Just as Ferrari engineers continuously seek to gain thousandths of a second while racing, the engineers working on the RM UP-01 Ferrari labored to shave off hundredths of a millimeter.
“The joint endeavor with Audemars Piguet made it possible for us to reach the desired thickness,” says Yves Mathys, Head of Production at Richard Mille. “But reaching this degree of flatness requires that you break with tradition.”
To put things in perspective, 1.75mm is the thickness of the entire watch. The movement itself is an astonishing 1.18mm thick, boast a 45-hour power reserve, and weighs all of 2.82 grams.
“It is worth pointing out that the movement’s depth of 1.18mm is thinner than a compact disc,” adds Salvador Arbona, Technical Director for Movements at Richard Mille. “This precluded a traditional movement with superimposed gears and hands.”
“Such a project requires that all the knowledge accumulated over years of practice and every rule of watchmaking is therefore suspended,” says Julien Boillat, Technical Director for Cases at Richard Mille. “Eliminating those last few millimeters was a long and arduous process.”
Tested to the Limits The RM UP-01 Ferrari is, not surprisingly, the culmination of over 6,000 hours of development and testing. Given the slender proportions, engineers were adamant about ensuring the watch was fit for the purpose of daily wear and not merely a showpiece of technical mastery.
Countless hours were therefore spent on shock-resistance testing, where prototypes were subject to the notorious pendulum test (or Charpy impact test)—which measures resistance to acceleration forces in excess of 5,000 g’s.
Among the multiple innovations engineered into the RM UP-01 Ferrari are two new patents—an extra-flat barrel less than 1.18mm thick with an extremely fine-gauge spring and an ultra-flat escapement. Engineers also had to rethink the traditional winding mechanism—a feature that would have looked completely out of place on a watch so thin. In its place, two crowns have been cleverly integrated in the case as movement wheels and ringed with black ceramic inserts to protect the bezel from wear.
Titanium was a natural choice of material for the baseplate and the bridges, thanks to its combination of strength, lightness and corrosion-resistance. Structural rigidity is critical when developing a watch case where the wall thickness can drop to 0.18mm. Even the sapphire crystals have been reduced to a thickness of 0.20mm.
“The extremely low tolerance for error of each part placed exceptionally high demands during production,” says Mathys, “often requiring meticulous checks at almost every stage of machining.” Naturally, the ultra-slim package also needed to be water-resistant to 10 meters.
Only 150 units of this distinct yet elegant technological tour de force have been made.
A yellow circle, two oval eyes, a wide upturned mouth.
Drawn by Franklin Loufrani just over 50 years ago, the Smiley has become an established symbol in the collective consciousness. Now more than ever, the popular emoticon serves as the embodiment of positivity and joy, and continues to play a universal role at the heart of pop culture.
This symbolic and exuberant attitude that is so effectively captured by the Smiley, was reason enough for the teams at Richard Mille to want to create an emotion-driven watch that represented all these values. In particular, the multivalent quality of a smile that is so fundamental to social interactions and so expressive of our innate desire to connect with others.
The result of this three-year quest is the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley—a timepiece that is both a visually stunning work of art and an unapologetic feat of precision engineering.
Like the emoticon on which it was inspired, the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley resonates joy and invokes smiles; thanks in no small part to the meticulously curated application of icons of the Smiley world—a blooming flower, a hot sun, a delicious pineapple, a burgeoning cactus, a pink flamingo and a vivid rainbow.
This array of micro sculptures has been seamlessly interwoven into the movement to form a surreal scene brimming with merriment while simultaneously demonstrating sheer mastery of the infinitely small. A scene where Richard Mille’s Creative and Development Director, Cécile Guenat, expresses how “the decorative elements are spontaneously placed in the watch, following an explosion around the tourbillon carriage.”
This timepiece is, quite simply, a joy and a wonder to behold.
Engineering the Dream Even as we revel at the completed project, a succession of critical challenges had to be tackled before the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley could see the light of day.
The challenges revolved around the incorporation of the exquisite micro sculptures, created by specialist engraver Olivier Kuhn, into the calibre assembly. Firstly, the dimensions and weight of the gold micro sculptures, each weighing less than a gram, had to be judiciously calibrated for consistency while ensuring they were robust enough to withstand every type of shock.
Another challenge was in determining how to arrange the objects in three-dimensional space around the central motif—the Smiley—to maximize aesthetic effect while facilitating their insertion by the watchmaker.
Holistically, there was also the visual challenge of ensuring enough free space to display the multiple protagonists of this scene with the greatest possible impact.
In order to meet all these challenges it was decided that a new in-house calibre was needed. This was how the CRMT7 calibre came into being.
The CRMT7 is an all new skeletonized automatic tourbillon movement with hours, minutes and a function indicator that oscillates at four Hz (28,000 vibrations/h) and features a power reserve of 50 hours. This movement has been designed, machined and assembled entirely in-house by Richard Mille.
The new calibre facilitated a simple yet elegant answer to the challenge of integrating and inserting the iconic micro sculptures. The solution was to equip the watch with two baseplates: one technical, to support the movement, and the other to secure the ornamental objects on the left-hand side of the dial. This auxiliary baseplate would subsequently be mounted onto the movement.
This novel arrangement meant that the micro sculptures could be presented at an inclined plane, for added volumetric and three-dimensional effect. However, the arrangement also required different attachment methods. The pink flamingo, for instance, is fastened using a stud while the sun, the flower, the cocktail glass and the gradient gold rainbow, are affixed with screws. Meanwhile, the pineapple and the cactus are pierced by two pins in polished Phynox while the Smiley itself is assembled on a decorative bridge, lending the impression that it floats above the movement.
RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley
Focused and Persistent Attention to Detail With the major technical issues finally resolved, the teams at Richard Mille then got down to the details, sparing no effort in ensuring every minute element was given the attention and finish it deserved.
The shining face of the Smiley has been microblasted and hand-painted in 3N yellow gold while the cocktail glass consists of a four-part assembly in 3N and 5N gold. The parasol, the olive (1.7mm in height), the 0.4mm diameter grooved straw—all polished—and the glass, whose base has also been microblasted for that “chilled” effect, weigh an astonishing 0.4 grams in total. The gold flower above is made of 5N gold and features a mirror-polished heart and a brushed, rhodium plated petals.
The additional motion work bridge, to which the Smiley is affixed, takes the form and colours of a rainbow. This bridge, made of microblasted ARCAP® with polished angles and drawn-out edges, gleams with faint reflections thanks to hand-applied varnishes.
The small seconds hand alternates between rain and fine weather by the minute. It glides its way over the ARCAP® cloud affixed to the tourbillon then hides beneath a small cloud microblasted and satin finished in white gold, before re-emerging at the foot of a rainbow of four shades of gold. Made of white gold and 2N, 4N and 6N gold, the rainbow itself has been subjected to alternate microblasting and drawn-out finishing, a culmination of 25 hours of craftmanship.
A function indicator at 3 o’clock allows one to see the winding (W) and hand-setting (H) positions as the crown is pulled out. The RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley also sports a free-sprung balance with variable inertia for greater reliability when subject to shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly.
The entire mechanical ensemble is housed in a visually stunning case made of ATZ white ceramic, a material known for its high scratch-resistance and a perennial whiteness that contrasts effectively with the red gold of the case band.
Beyond such attention to detail, the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley is, at its heart, as enthralling as it is rare. Only 50 pieces are available worldwide. For more information about this exceptional timepiece, visit www.richardmille.com.
As a watchmaker, François-Paul Journe’s track record for innovation and mechanical ingenuity is unparalleled. The three-time winner of the industry’s highest honor, the Aiguille d’Or, really needs no introduction. From the Astronomic Souveraine to the Chronomètre à Résonance, F.P.Journe’s creations are testimony to the deep, lasting impact the independent watchmaker has etched on contemporary Haute Horlogerie.
When it comes to timekeeping accuracy, one timepiece in particular has come to epitomize the very essence of the precision wristwatch—the Chronomètre Optimum.
The origins of this watch hark back to the 1980s when a youthful and idealistic Journe began obsessing over the “ideal” wristwatch. Even then, he knew exactly what it would be. Minimalist. Simple. A time-only watch with just a power reserve indicator. The Chronomètre Optimum’s synthesis of simplicity and precision would later serve as a fundamental pillar of F.P.Journe’s chronometric research. Many years would nevertheless have to pass before the young watchmaker would be in a position to turn concept into reality.
“The basic premise was to make a watch with less internal friction, a constant force on the escapement to ensure isochronism, and an escapement without lubrication to ensure stability,” says Journe.
The premise may have been basic but delivering on chronometric perfection demanded the watchmaker leverage and build on the knowledge base and technical expertise of past masters such as Breguet, Berthoud and Janvier while simultaneously driving new technological solutions of his own.
What he finally achieved was nothing short of horological brilliance. For starters, Journe knew his new movement would have twin mainspring barrels mounted in parallel. This layout ensured power delivery would be stable. Next, he created a constant-force mechanism called the Remontoir d’Égalité. This mechanism comprised an intermediate spring that equalized the forces acting on the escapement, further enhancing power transmission stability.
The idea that followed was nothing short of revolutionary. Instead of the traditional lubricated escapement wheel, Journe developed a system that used two escapement wheels. This design would come to be known as the High-Performance Bi-axial Escapement or EBHP. Put simply, a two-wheel system meant frictional forces could now be distributed rather than concentrated, thereby enabling the escapement to operate without lubricants.
In 2001, Journe set the wheels in motion for his new wristwatch with initial sketches. Six years and countless refinements later, the blueprints were finalized. In 2012, Calibre 1510 pulsed its first mechanical heartbeat as a complete caliber.
Traditional, Time-Tested Aesthetics
The blued steel hands indicating hours, minutes and power reserve are definitive of an F.P.Journe and in the Chronomètre Optimum may be set on a dial of white or red gold. The movement itself is constructed of 18K rose gold and features a 70-hour power reserve with a constant-force remontoir on display on the dial face. At the back, the movement flaunts a deadbeat seconds as defined by a seconds circle screwed onto the movement’s bridges. The two-part case is adorned with F.P.Journe’s iconic knurled crown, a design inspired by a silk rope.
The Chronomètre Optimum comes in 40- or 42-mm sizes, equivalent to 48.50- and 52.70-mm lug-to-lug configuration. Case thickness is 9.50-mm and available in either platinum or 18K red gold. Dials are either white or red gold and the timepiece is secured via leather strap.
The Hour Glass is the exclusive retailer of F.P.Journe in Singapore, Australia and Thailand.
With a stunning new geometry and an all-new Manufacture movement, Hublot’s Square Bang Unico made a timely entry at Watches & Wonders 2022 in Geneva, joining Hublot’s family of tonneau-shaped watches, round watches and the unconventionally shaped Master Pieces series.
Inspired by the iconic Big Bang and Chairman Jean-Claude Biver’s “Art of Fusion” philosophy, the Square Bang Unico symbolizes Hublot’s ethos of being “the first, unique, and different” and exemplifies the synthesis of functionality, architecture, design and unique materials.
Its shape, at first a challenge for the R&D department, displays Hublot’s technical expertise while maintaining some traditions from 1980. As CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said, “The square watch is a very specific object most watchmakers dare not tackle. This is a divisive, disruptive and unconventional shape no one has known how to rework for decades. Hublot decided to get to grips with the shape to explore its power and create a unique timepiece.”
It offers a lesson in geometry, beginning with the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture movement, a 354-component automatic chronograph set at 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). It has a power reserve of 72 hours.
With mechanical movements round and difficult to integrate into square cases, Hublot skeletonized the dial to work around it and, rather than concealing it, they displayed the remarkable power of the HUB1280, which follows the Meca-10 and Tourbillon movements. An oblong bicompax display at 6 o’clock reveals the chronograph’s inner mechanics, along with a column wheel.
A further challenge was the modular construction of the case. Hublot’s DNA is reflected in the 42mm sapphire crystal case—with a central housing and upper-lower plate for a variety of combinations—that reveals the dial and the movement. In addition to being functional, the six distinct screws on the bezel contribute to the overall aesthetics of the Square Bang Unico; “ears” (bezel lugs) on both sides of the watch give balance to the design while protecting the case.
The square shape presented another issue: the difficulty in making it water-resistant. Hublot pulled off this challenge and made the watch water-resistant to 100 meters.
The Square Bang Unico is even ergonomically perfect, providing wrist comfort. The textured “chocolate-square” strap enhances its uniqueness, and the One Click system lets you switch between rubber, alligator and soft-touch leather straps quickly.
As with all Hublot timepieces, the finishing is impeccable. The screws are sandblasted and polished. Chronograph push-pieces have rubber “chocolate squares”, and the rhodium-plated or 5N gold-plated hands, depending on the model, are polished.
At its launch, Hublot presented five 42mm Square Bang Unico models. The All Black, limited to 250 pieces, combines shades of black on all surfaces, alternating between polished and satin finishes. Ceramic and titanium meet here, from the polished black case and bezel to the structured rubber strap and black-plated titanium deployant clasp.
The other four are: a solid titanium piece, a titanium with ceramic bezel model, a King Gold with ceramic bezel model, and a full King Gold timepiece. Each comes with a black rubber strap and a folding clasp that matches the material of the case.
The Hour Glass is the exclusive partner of Hublot in Southeast Asia.
Henry Jacques’ Paris boutique along Avenue Montaigne
Countless brick-and-mortar stores have been casualties of the digital transformation that has reshaped the retail landscape in recent years, but many consumers at the high end of the beauty market still desire personalized, face-to-face interactions with their favorite brands.
A recent survey by global retail tech agency Outform revealed that more than half of the 2,000 respondents preferred purchasing beauty products in person, with around 40% citing the experience of being in a boutique and consulting with brand experts as being influential in their purchasing decisions.
These findings reflect the thinking that saw family-owned perfume maison Henry Jacques take its first decisive step into retail in 2014, with the opening of an exclusive space within the Salon de Parfums at Harrods in London—a dedicated space to interact with and better serve its discerning clientele.
Founded in 1975, Henry Jacques has forged a reputation for creating bespoke scents of the highest quality. Initially introduced to a small group of private clients, these one-off, bespoke fragrances were created to complement its wearer—to invoke personal memories and emotions, and to become an extension of their identity. Clients were able to have their tailor-made scents housed in uniquely designed crystal flacons, collaborating with the brand’s experts to create an artisanal fragrance that becomes uniquely theirs.
Anna-Lise Cremona
As the clientele for bespoke offerings grew over the next few decades, an archive of some 3,000 unique scents sporting names such as “Rose Snow,” “Merveilleuse” and “Et Pourtant” was curated, forming the pillars of the maison and building on the legacy of French high perfumery.
Under the guidance of Henry Jacques’ daughter, Anne-Lise Cremona, the move into retail was part of an ambitious plan to introduce French high perfumery to a wider audience. Since taking over the reins of the company in 2011, Ms Cremona has opened the doors of Henry Jacques to more people with the launch of 50 scents during the brand’s public debut—a decision made possible thanks to Henry Jacques’ fragrance archive.
Known collectively as Les Classiques, the 50 fragrances are created in three forms: Les Essences, oils housed in minimalistic crystal flacons and applied directly to the skin with a crystal rod; Les Brumes, a lighter and modern way of enjoying the art of high perfumery with liquids housed in a unique ‘splash and spray’ convertible flacon; and the Clic-Clac, the brand’s take on solid perfumes, which are essentially scents that come in a balm-like form.
Following the success of its first foray into the retail landscape with Harrods, Henry Jacques has brought this curated physical experience to more locations around the world, with eight boutiques opening in cities such as Singapore, Dubai and Beverly Hills.
Inside Henry Jacques’ Paris Boutique
Breaking New Ground
From creating bespoke fragrances for private clients to making its mark on the luxury retail world, Henry Jacques has grown from strength to strength since its founding. That journey continues to this day with the opening of Henry Jacques’ ninth boutique globally in the heart of Paris in May this year. Situated across the river from the Eiffel Tower, the 400-square-meter duplex space is the brand’s first standalone boutique in Paris, on one of the most iconic Avenues in the world—Avenue Montaigne.
This new boutique takes visitors on an exhilarating journey through the world of French high perfumery, where they can observe Henry Jacques’ designers delicately manipulating the raw materials responsible for creating some of the world’s most precious and prestigious perfumes.
Henry Jacques’ Laboratory
The brand’s artistic director, Christophe Tollemer, has brought the splendor of Henry Jacques’ legacy to life through historic Parisian architecture and timeless charms sprinkled throughout the space. Welcoming customers with a small garden—a rarity along the historic avenue—and colorful flagons within the lab-like interior space, the boutique celebrates the French art of living with classic collections of jewelry, art and historical pieces adorning the walls.
The key focus, however, remains very much on the creation of exceptional scents. A special lounge dedicated to bespoke fragrances allows connoisseurs to compose their personal fragrances in complete privacy during consultations with Henry Jacques’ experts.
Marrying Innovation with Tradition
As it honors the traditions of French high perfumery, Henry Jacques also continues to push the boundaries of what is possible through a culture of innovation. One recent highlight of this desire to blaze new trails was the creation of the Clic-Clac in 2021, an accessory that houses the brand’s new collection of solid perfumes.
Les Classiques
A sophisticated creation, the Clic-Clac revives the gesture of applying solid perfume; the wearer only needs to pick up a small amount of the scent’s wax on the fingertips, before dabbing it on his or her pulse points. Named after the sound it makes, the Clic-Clac opens with a simple slide to reveal a single circular perfume capsule ready for application, and similarly shuts with ease with a slight push.
Borrowing techniques from the expertise of Swiss watchmaking, the Clic-Clac was developed after more than four years of development to ensure its longevity before it was able to reach its current standard of patented engineering. The accessory is available in materials such as titanium, carbon and gold, and can house Les Classiques scents in the form of interchangeable solid perfume capsules.
The Clic-Clac
The modernity of the Clic-Clac, and the revived art of solid perfumes, encapsulates Henry Jacques’ vision—the traditional art of French high perfumery enhanced with modern innovations, reflecting Ms Cremona’s keen desire to continue bringing the maison to greater heights in the coming decades.
There is an undeniable buzz surrounding the Ferrari Roma, the illustrious Italian marque’s fêted grand touring, high-performance sports car. Unusually, though, this excitement is not limited to die-hard motoring enthusiasts or the luxury brand’s many lifelong admirers. Indeed, there’s something about the Ferrari Roma that has captured the imagination of the stylish and the affluent of all ages, all around the world.
Maybe it is because, from the very beginning, the Ferrari Roma was conceived as a true celebration of La Nuova Dolce Vita, the effervescent essence of the Rome of the 1950s and ’60s. While the closest English rendering is ‘The New Sweet Life’, this translation loses much of the inherent elegance of the Italian term. This perhaps explains why the Italian phrase has been embraced the world over as the encapsulation of an eminently desirable, carefree, hedonistic lifestyle. And it is these very traits that have informed every aspect of the Ferrari Roma’s look, feel and impeccable driving experience.
Elegance, Tradition, Innovation and Performance
A unique fusion of elegance, tradition, innovation and performance, the timeless design and sensuous stylings of the Ferrari Roma have already beguiled the world’s most discerning luxury connoisseurs. At the same time, its fusion of Ferrari’s time-honored traditions with a unique take on contemporary technical innovation, as well as its peak driving and passenger experience, has seen the Ferrari Roma win plaudits as both a pinnacle of precision engineering and as an iconic statement of on-road style.
It is a combination with a particular appeal to pioneers and iconoclasts, those who take pride in living by their own rules and shaping their own destinies. And it is these true trailblazers, those who set trends rather than follow them, that the Ferrari Roma most strongly appeals to.
While the many testaments to the Ferrari Roma’s sophistication and technical accomplishments are compelling enough, this is a car designed to be experienced. Indeed, true appreciation of this phenomenally crafted luxury automobile demands immersion.
The Ultimate Immersive Ferrari Roma Experience
Fortunately, for a select few, this is within reach. For those who are truly simpatico to the abiding elegance and sophistication of La Nuova Dolce Vita, Ferrari has invested in a luxurious and exclusive showcase, one designed to deliver the ultimate Ferrari Roma experience. This, though, is only open to those who succeed in securing one of the illustrious motoring marque’s intriguingly rare Black Boxes.
As with the Ferrari Roma itself, each Black Box is exquisitely crafted, while its secrets are only gradually revealed. It is, however, the key to your personal opportunity to experience this proud addition to Ferrari’s unmatched portfolio of automotive excellence in a way few could even dream of.
Although the exact nature of this bespoke experience remains known only to those fortunate enough to be among the first recipients of the Black Box, its carefully curated contents excite both curiosity and a yearning to know more. Keys loom large among its inventory, and the question of whether they are included as symbols of exclusive access or have a more functional role only adds to their enigmatic allure.
Sensationally Sensory, Exclusively Elegant
There are, however, just enough hints to fuel expectations that something truly sensational is on offer. There’s an intimation that a high-end hotel stay awaits, one spent in the company of like-minded lovers of luxury and bespoke premium experiences.
Inevitably, there is an expectation that the finer details of the Ferrari Roma will be explored, with those directly involved in the car’s creation and development leading the conversation. All of this, however, may prove but an artful preamble to the presumed centerpiece of this exclusive encounter—the opportunity to immerse yourself in an extended test-drive of the Ferrari Roma itself.
To be assured of your own chance to explore the mysteries of the Ferrari Roma Black Box, the key to the immersive driving and high-end living experience of the year, all you have to do is click the link below—and unlock the true meaning of La Nuova Dolce Vita for yourself.
Leading beauty and wellness company Nu Skin has been positively impacting people’s lives in Southeast Asia for the past quarter-century through groundbreaking research and development, technological innovations, and significant community efforts.
The success of its endeavors is reflected in the impressive list of awards and achievements it has chalked up over this period. Among other accolades, Nu Skin was named the world’s No. 1 brand for Beauty Device Systems for four consecutive years*, and Pharmanex was named No. 1 weight management and wellbeing brand in Malaysia and Singapore** by Euromonitor International.
Nu Skin’s success is also largely due to its extensive network of distributors who invest considerable time and effort into, and are dedicated to, promoting the brand, leading to them becoming successful entrepreneurs themselves.
ageLOC Reset
They have not only built rewarding businesses for themselves over the past 25 years, but have helped others transform their lives, and raised the industry’s level of professionalism.
The company’s greatest impact, however, comes from its commitment to scientific innovation grounded in a rigorous R&D process supervised by a world-class team of scientists whose research and insights are dedicated to changing the way the world views aging.
Led by these insights, Nu Skin developed ageLOC proprietary scientific research to address the underlying causes of aging, such as gene expressions associated with the process of becoming older, rather than just its symptoms.
“Our knowledge and understanding of these learnings are applied to the development of proprietary, innovative, safe, and effective products. We are revolutionizing the nutrition and personal care industries with products that offer comprehensive anti-aging solutions,” says Dr Joseph Chang, Nu Skin’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Among its most recent innovative achievements is ageLOC Reset. Based on seven years of exclusive Nu Skin research, and powered by the company’s anthocyanin blend, this new product has shown that it can help improve one’s wellbeing and counteract the negative effects of a hectic lifestyle when combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep.
ageLOC LumiSpa iO with IoT technology
A Digital Ecosystem that Benefits Everyone ,Smart Beauty Devices, and App-Driven Customized Regimes
Being a company that prioritizes innovation, it is not surprising that Nu Skin is also leveraging digital technology to improve the efficiency of its processes, and better engage with its customers.
It recently launched EMPOWERME, a new digital ecosystem and strategy that recommends personalized beauty and wellness products through interactive and engaging digital experiences. In this way, Nu Skin can provide holistic solutions across the beauty and wellness spectrum, integrating its products into the customer experience.
These solutions include digital apps such as Nu Skin Vera, which enables customers to participate in AI-driven skincare consultations, monitor their skin’s improvement with selfies, and order products, among other features.
Nu Skin distributors also use Vera to help their customers find the best products through intuitive questionnaires, top-of-the-line facial scanning technology, and Intelligent Recommendations, an innovative AI that uses algorithms for product personalization. Following that, Nu Skin Stela tracks distributors’ sales volume and commissions and manages their client lists.
“Through our digital ecosystem, we intend to attract, connect, and nurture our prospects while building a long-term relationship with our customers, who want personalized service, products, and solutions that address their needs. With EMPOWERME, we can connect them and affiliates through digital tools such as Intelligent Recommendations that helps create customized regimes and a seamless connection to social sharing communities,” says Dr Vicky Leevutinun, President of Nu Skin Southeast Asia and Pacific.
Dr Vicky Leevutinun, President of Nu Skin Southeast Asia and Pacific
“Through our digital ecosystem, we intend to attract, connect, and nurture our prospects while building a long-term relationship with our customers, who want personalized service, products, and solutions that address their needs.”
– Dr Vicky Leevutinun, President of Nu Skin Southeast Asia and Pacific
Inner Focus Collagen Plus
The first beauty device that incorporates IoT technology will be the ageLOC LumiSpa iO. This dual-action skincare device helps deliver skin renewal and deep cleansing benefits in a single action. Nu Skin researchers also evaluated visible results when the regime is combined with Inner FocusTM Collagen Plus***.
Fostering a Culture of Good: Initiating Community Outreach Programs and Nurturing Future Generations
In addition to its business operations, Nu Skin aims to be an agent for positive change by caring for the planet, improving the lives of children, nourishing future generations, initiating community outreach programs, and investing in the global community.
Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation, for example, works to improve children’s health, education, and economic circumstances, while Nu Skin Nourish the Children is a global initiative that distributes food to children suffering from malnutrition.
Furthermore, the foundation also supports the Southeast Asia Children’s Heart Fund (SEACHF), raising funds to cover the surgery fees for affected children, and partnering with local hospitals and healthcare professionals who are equally passionate about saving the lives of children born with congenital heart diseases in Southeast Asia. The brand’s distributors can choose to donate 1% of their monthly commissions towards SEACHF.
In terms of sustainability, Nu Skin is striving to improve its product packaging by 2030. The goal is to make everything recyclable, reusable, reduced or renewable. In 2021 alone, it saved 131 tons of plastic and over 34 tons of paper under this initiative.
In a rapidly changing world, Nu Skin continues to evolve, adapt and emerge stronger. With the vision to become the world’s leading integrated beauty and wellness company, and a mission to be a global force for good, Nu Skin hopes to continue to change lives through its business and product innovations.
“Nu Skin will continue to transform generations across Southeast Asia and globally. We want to empower individuals to discover their best selves through our integrated beauty and wellness solutions and business opportunities,” maintains Dr Leevutinun.
Join Nu Skin’s 25th Anniversary Celebration!
This live virtual event for Nu Skin Southeast Asia from July 21 to 24, 2022, celebrates the brand’s success, honors the distributors, and will introduce new innovative products. Discover these along with the ageLOC beauty devices and Pharmanex products. Admission is free: visit www.nuskin.com/sealive/en/home.html
*Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Retail Value RSP terms; all channels; 2017 to 2020. Beauty Systems are at-home Skin Care Beauty Devices used exclusively with or recommended to be used with a topical consumable of the same brand. Claim verification based on Euromonitor custom research and methodology conducted January-March of 2021. Sales of at-home skin care beauty devices includes sales of electric facial cleansers as defined in Passport database. This category does not include haircare/removal appliances, body shavers, and oral care appliances. **Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Consumer Health 2022ed, per Weight Management and Wellbeing category definition, retail value RSP 2021, data. ***Product name may vary from market to market.
There is a beauty and wonder that only comes from true precision. Whether manifested in extraordinary feats of horological engineering or within the infinite complexity of the human mind, the result is never less than breathtaking. There is, then, a natural synergy between the world’s finest mechanical watches and the wonder that is the human brain. It has, however, taken Richard Mille, one of the world’s leading Swiss watch marques, to recognize this resonance and duly support these two highly complementary celebrations of perfect precision.
A part of the Paris Brain Institute, ICM is the first neurology center in France.
This commitment is embodied equally in two of the company’s luxury tourbillon timepieces—the RM 74-01 and the RM 74-02—and its continuing support for the Paris Brain Institute, a research establishment acknowledged as a world leader when it comes to decoding the mysteries of the human mind. Naturally, Richard Mille is setting new standards for innovation and sustained excellence in both spheres of activity.
Combining pioneering technical expertise and future-facing functionality, the in-house automatic tourbillion timepieces embody unparalleled elegance while remaining the ultimate expression of precision watchmaking engineering. This sees them stay true to Richard Mille’s high-end horological heritage, while also representing a bold step forward for the science of Swiss watch manufacturing.
Timeless Timepieces, Future Classics
Although sharing the same ultra-skeletonized heart, the two models boast bold, highly individual crafting, including distinctly different casing materials and strikingly contrasting aesthetics. In many ways, they are best considered fraternal twins, albeit siblings with markedly different personalities.
For its part, the RM 74-01 comes clad in grey Cermet, a metal-ceramic composite renowned for its corrosion-resistant and scratch-proof qualities. Combining the lightness of titanium with a ceramic resilience, the material—the product of many years of joint development between Richard Mille and the IMI Group, a global leader in microtechnology—has a diamond-esque invulnerability, making it the optimum choice for the case of this signature model. Harmoniously complementing the case is a grade 5 titanium caseband, while the bridges and baseplate deliver an engagingly elegant and simpatico finish.
By contrast, the RM 74-02 comes enhanced with another proprietary Richard Mille material—Gold Carbon TPT®. This combination of a singular composite material (Carbon TPT®) and fine gold leaf was perfected only after many years of tireless development. With its robust and resilient properties matched only by its lightness, the contrast between the carbon matte black and the intermittent golden filigree bestows a truly bespoke haute horological air. Its singular silhouette also incorporates fine threads of 24-carat yellow gold, haloing a radiance that extends across its baseplate and red-gold caseband, while its polished pillars and crown are similarly encircled with matching material.
From L – R: Jean Todt, founding member of the Paris Brain Institute, Professor Gérard Saillant, President of Paris Brain Institute, Richard Mille
Beyond their distinct external aesthetic, the twin cores of both models are in-house automatic tourbillon calibres—the CRMT6 for the RM 74-01 and the CRMT5 for the RM 74-02. While the baseplate and bridges of the CRMT6 are both fashioned from PVD- and electro-plasma-treated grade 5 titanium, its CRMT5 counterpart favors the more traditional hues of yellow and red gold. Incorporating an impressive 50-hour power reserve, both movements are faultlessly driven by a variable-geometry rotor, ensuring each watch and its winding can be customized in line with the needs and preferences of its owner.
Characteristically slender, the contours of the RM 74-01 and RM 74-02 ably forefront their majestically positioned tourbillons, which are set at the six o’clock point. In a finely finessed finishing touch, the beveled festooned flange draws the eye to each watch’s movement, while an adept adornment of fine handcrafting further refines the already delicate features of these two timeless timepieces.
Philanthropically Minded, Cerebrally Focused
Given the deeply cerebral design work behind these two timepieces, it’s clear that Richard Mille owes a deep debt to the intricacies of the human mind. Recognizing this, the company’s strategic alliance with the Paris Brain Institute sees it committed to supporting the research body in its mission to establish a greater understanding of how the brain works, while helping fund its ongoing work to remedy many crippling neurological ailments.
Such philanthropic endeavors are nothing new to Richard Mille, which has a long history of supporting a variety of highly deserving causes, including The Rafael Nadal Foundation, YB Afraid and the Only Watch Charity Auction. The Paris Brain Institute, though, has struck a particular chord with the fine watchmaker, and has seen the brand’s eponymous founder keen to champion its future success.
Underlining the company’s long-term commitment to the center, he said, “Supporting an organization as advanced and promising as the Institute is a noble cause. By helping to facilitate its research, we are saving lives and improving the everyday existence of many people across the world.”
Paris Brain Institute
Through its financial assistance and its establishment of the Richard Mille Donors’ Club, the brand believes it can play a key role in sustaining the Institute and its 700 dedicated researchers. In this way, it seeks to bring hope to the one billion people around the world suffering from neurological conditions, many of whom lack access to proper treatment.
As with the company’s exquisite timepieces, there’s a pleasing symmetry in the mindfulness of Richard Mille’s philanthropic endeavors.